Health Technologies:

3D Spinal Cord Shape Analytics as a Next-Generation Biomarker for Multiple Sclerosis

Darin T. Okuda, M.D.

• Professor of Neurology
• Director, Multiple Sclerosis & Neuroimmunology Imaging Program
• Director, Neuroinnovation Program, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center

The Okuda Lab

Multiple sclerosis slowly damages the brain and spinal cord, but today’s MRI scans cannot reliably measure how fast this damage is progressing or whether treatments are truly working. NeuroForm™ M.S. is a software platform that turns standard MRI scans into precise three-dimensional maps of spinal cord shape, detecting subtle bending, thinning, and surface changes that traditional imaging misses. The technology is built on proprietary algorithM.S. developed and validated using data from large M.S. clinical trials and leading academic research. By providing a sensitive, quantitative “digital biomarker” of neurodegeneration, NeuroForm™ M.S. has the potential to become a new endpoint for M.S. drug trials and a powerful tool for clinicians monitoring patients over time. This creates a scalable, software-based business opportunity at the intersection of neurology, imaging, and AI, with clear paths to pharma partnerships and regulated clinical deployment.